The control tower at Hawkins Field in Jackson and four others in Mississippi are scheduled to be closed because of automatic federal budget cuts.

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Beginning this weekend, five Mississippi airports will mark the start of the sequestration era, one they hope will be more of a procedural change than a hit to their traffic volume.

Sunday will usher in the closing over four weeks of 149 control towers nationally by the Federal Aviation Administration as part of $637 million in automatic federal budget cuts to the agency. Jackson's Hawkins Field, Bay St. Louis' Stennis International Airport, Greenville's Mid-Delta Regional Airport, Olive Branch Airport and Tupelo Regional Airport each will shutter towers.